A total of 26,174 applications were received till 5 p.m. on Saturday from AIADMK cadres interested in contesting the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala.
Among the prospective candidates, who have been thronging the office on Avvai Shanmugam Salai in Royapettah from January 20th, are actors, college students, IT employees, entrepreneurs, university professors and even policemen.
Among the policemen who have expressed willingness to enter politics, is M. Peer Mohamed, Assistant Commissioner, Prohibition and Enforcement Wing (East). On behalf of AIADMK general secretary and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, 7,936 applications had been filed.
Sekar Palanisamy, who came down from Singapore with his family to apply on behalf of ‘Amma’ from Tiruvallur constituency and for himself from Kolathur, said he had been a member of the party from 1979 but this was the first time he was applying for a ticket.
That the IT wing of the party has been active is obvious from the fact that many in the industry are party sympathisers and have deep respect for Amma. Madurai-based V.V.R.Raj Satyen, who runs an IT firm and an e-commerce portal, has applied from Madurai East and West constituencies. “My family has an AIADMK gene,” he said.A total of 17,698 persons applied seeking ticket in Tamil Nadu, 332 in Puducherry and 208 in Kerala.
Among ticket aspirants are actors, students, IT employees and policemen
